Fluid-pressure engine.



No. 643,474. Patented Feb. l3, I900.-

A. H. CRDCKFORD.

FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE.

(Application filed. Feb. 15, 1899.) (No Model.) 5 ShB8f8*-$h881 I.

No. 643,474. Patented Feb. l3, I900.

A. H. GBOCKFOBD.

FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE.

(Application filad Feb. 15, 1899.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

THE scams warms c0, moraumu, WASNINOTDR n. c.

Patented Feb. l3, I900.

A. H. CROCKFORD.

FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE.

(Application filed Feb. 15, 1899.]

5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

.Ynz mums PETERS no PHOYD-LIYHQ, wnsumc-Tou, c. c

No. 643,474. Patented Feb. [3, I900.

A. H. CROGKFORD.

FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE.

(Applicatioi: filed Feb. 15, 1899.) (No Model.) 5 sheets sheet 4.

I'HE NORR |S Pm: 00.. morouma. WASHINGTON, n. c

Patented Feb. l3, I900.

A. H. BBOCKFOBD. FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE.

(Application filed Feb. 15, 1899.] (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

Yu: cams PETERS c0, Pnorouma, WASHINGTON. n. r.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED HENRY CROOKFORD, OF DARTFORD, ENGLAND.

FLUlD-PRESSU RE ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,474, dated February 13, 1900. Application filed February 15, 1899. Serial No. 705,550. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED HENRY CROQK- FORD, engineer, acitizen of the United States, residing at Dartford, England, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Fluid- Pressure Engine, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan, and Fig. 2 a vertical longitudinal central sect-ion, of a compound engine constructed in accordance With my said invention. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line A B, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line C D, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the means employed for simultaneously operating the distributing-valves. Fig. 6 is a plan, and Fig. 7 a vertical longitudinal central section, of a tripleexpansion engine constructed according to my said invention. Figs. 8 and 9 are vertical longitudinal central sections showing other modifications of my invention.

Myinvention relates to compound and other multiple-expansion engines, and has for its main object-to provide an improved engine of this kind which shall be approximately balanced-that is to say, in which forces of approximately-equal magnitude shall act in inverse directions upon cranks set at an angle of one hundred and eighty degrees, and in which, consequently, the vibration will be reduced to a minimum.

In the specification of former Letters Patent granted to me and dated December 13, 1898, No. 615,810, Ihavc described various forms of a double-acting balanced fluid-pressure engine in which the cylinders are arranged radially to a rotary crank-shaft and are joined end to end about the said shaft, the cranks to which the pistons of the said cylinders are coupled being set at an angle of one hundred and eighty degrees and the cylinders and the distributing valve or valves are supported by and capable of being rocked about the said crank-shaft. A compound engine is described in the said former specification which has two high-pressure cylinders arranged opposite each other and two lowpressure cylinders also arranged opposite each other at an angle of ninety degrees to the said high-pressure cylinders, the pistons of one high-pressure and one low-pressure cylinder being coupled to each crank. By my present improvements I provide a doubleacting approximately-balanced compound or multiple-expansion engine in which two cylinders-for example, a high-pressure and a low-pressure cylinder or two high-pressure or two low-pressu re cylindersare joined end to end,witha rotary crank-shaft extending transversely between them, and in which a highpressure cylinder and a low-pressure cylinder are situated on opposite sides of the rot-ary crank-shaft and have their pistons coupled, respectively, to cranks thereon set at an angle of one hundred and eighty degrees, and I make the said cylinders of such relative proportions that forces of equal magnitude will be applied through their pistons to the said cranks in inverse directions.

In my improved compound engine the high-pressure cylinder and the low-pressure cylinder, which are situated on opposite sides of the crank-shaft, are joined end to end, with the said crank-shaft, extending transversely between them.

In one form of triple-expansion engine constructed according to my said invention two low-pressure cylinders are joined end to end, with the crank-shaft extending transversely between them, and a high-pressure cylinder is arranged at a suitable distance from one end, and an intermediate cylinder at a suitable distance from the other end, of the said low-pressure cylinders. The piston-rods of the said low-pressure cylinders are connected in any suitable manner with the piston-rods of the said high-pressure and intermediate cylinders, respectively, the pistons on one side of the shaft being all coupled to one crank or set of cranks and those 011 the other side thereof to the other crank or set of cranks. I. can, however, arrange the cylinders, when more than two are em ployed, in any other suitable order. For instance, in another form of my triple-expansion engine two high-pressure cylinders are joined end to end, with the crank-shaft extending transversely between them, and an intermediate cylinder and a low-pressure cylinder are arranged at a suitable distance from the respective ends of the said high-pressure cylinders, the pistons being interconnected and coupled to the cranks, respectively, as above mentioned.

In all cases I make the cross-sectional areas of the several cylinders of such relative proportion as to insure an approximately-bah anced action upon the crank-shaft, having regard to the degree of initial pressure to be used in the high-pressure cylinder or cylinders.

I mount the crank-shaft in suitable journal-hearings situated one at either side of the cylinders. In some cases instead of securing the cylinders to a bed-plate, entablature, or the like I so arrange the same that they are supported solely by the crank-shaft and can be turned or rocked about the same through a suitable angle to shift the engine from its dead-centers, and thus facilitate the starting thereof.

Another object of my said invention is to provide for enabling the engine to be used alternatively as a compound or multiple-expansion engine or as a high-pressure engine or one with fewer stages of expansion without any alteration in its construction, the change from one mode of working to the other being brought about simply by the adjustment of certain valves or cocks.

A further object of my said invention is to provide for very readily adapting the engine for use with one or more of the cylinders inoperative, so that should one cylinder break down the other cylinder or cylinders can still be used.

a is the high-pressure cylinder, and b the low-pressure cylinder, which in the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to at are joined end to end in any convenient manner and are each closed at both ends. 0 is the rotary crankshaft, which extends transversely between the joined ends of these cylinders through a bearing (1, formed in the same.

Cross-heads c, fixed upon the piston-rodsf, are coupled, respectively, by connecting-rods g to cranks hj, set at an angle of one hundred and eighty degrees, substantially as described in my said former specification.

Each of the cylinders a Z), Figs. 1 to t, is provided with an oscillating distributingvalve 7:, arranged in a casing 14 or 15 on the outside of the corresponding cylinder. These valves are operated simultaneously in inverse directions by a single eccentric Z, Figs. 1 and 5, mounted upon the crank-shaft c, the rod Z of the said eccentric being coupled to an arm on on one valve-spindle 16, on which is also fixed another arm '22, coupled by a link 0 to a similar arm n on the other valve-spindle 17.

The steam-supply pipe p is connected with the valve-casing 1 L of the high-pressure cylinder a through a suitable controlling-cock q, which is also connected by a pipe 7' with the valve-casing 15 of the low-pressure cylinder 1), the said cock being so constructed that communication can be thereby established between the said pipe 1) and either the highpressure valve-casing only or both the high and low pressure valve-casin gs. The exhaustchamber 18 of the high-pressure cylinder a is connected with the valve-casing 15 of the lowpressure cylinder 1) by a pipe 3, provided with a suitable contr0lling-cock 1, which is also connected with an eXhaust-pipea. The plugs of these two cocks q and t are capable of being turned simultaneously in opposite directions by means of a hand-lever o, suitably connected by a rod r with the said plugs, as shown, for example, in Fig. 2. By turning the plugs of these cocks q and t into one or other of two positions steam direct from the boiler can be admitted to the high-pressure valve-casing only or to both valve-casings, and consequently the engine can be used alternately either as a compound engine or as a two-cylinder high-pressure engine. \Vhen the engine is to be Worked as a compound engine, the cock 1 is adjusted to the position shown in Fig. 2, the cock 1. being simultaneously adjusted so as to permit the flow of exhaust-steam from the high-pressure cylinder a through the pipe .9 into the valve-casing 15 of the low-pressure cylinderb. lVhen the engine is to be worked as a high-pressure engine, the cock q is adjusted so as to admit steam 'from the pipe 1) to both valve-casings 14 and 15, and the cock if is simultaneously adjusted so as to close the communication between the high-pressure exhaust-chamber 18 and the valve-casing 15 of the low-pressure cylinder and put the said exhaust-chamber in communication with the exhaust-pipe u. The said exhaust-pipe '11 may, if desired, be connected with the pipe 19, which connects the exhaust-chamber 20 of the low-pressure cylinder with the condenser C. A back-pressure valve 21 should be provided on the condenser O to permit the escape of the surplus steam when both cylinders are worked under high pressure.

Should the high-pressure cylinder at any time break down, the engine can be very readily adapted for use with that cylinder inoperative by simply disconnecting the plugs of the cooks q and t and so adjusting these cocks that the low-pressure cylinder can be worked alone with high-pressure steam, the piston of the cylinder to being either disconnected or allowed to run idly, as may be desired.

The cylinders a and bare made of such relative proportions, having regard to the initial pressure to be used in the high-pressure cylinder, that forces of approximately-equal magnitude will be applied in opposite directions, as a couple, to the cranks h andj.

I thus provide an approximately-balanced compound engine which will occupy but little space in proportion to its power.

I sometimes provide a sheet-metal casing 22, fitted around the cylinders, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4. In the arrangement shown in these figures the crank-shaft c is supported in journal-bearings 23 24, one on each side cylinder.

of theeylinders, and said cylinders are supported solely by the said crank-shaft. They may, if desired, be provided with suitable means-such, forinstance, as I have described in my said former specificationfor rocking them about the said shaft through a suitable angle to shift the engine from its dead-centers, and thus facilitate its starting. If 'desired, however, the said cylinders may be rigidly secured to a bed-plate, entablature, or the like.

In the triple-expansion engine shown in Figs. 6 and 7 there are two low-pressure cylinders I), joined end to end about the rotary crank-shaft c and opening into each other, so as to virtually form a single cylinder with two pistons which move in inverse directions. These cylinders are provided with a common distributing-valve x-such, for example, as is described in my said former specification. The piston-rods f are coupled, respectively, to the cranks h andj through cross-heads e and connecting-rods g, as above described. A high-pressure cylinder a is arranged at a suitable distance from one end of the said low-pressure cylinders and an intermediate cylinder y at a suitable distance from the opposite end of the said low-pressure cylinders, and the pistons of the said cylinders a y are connected, respectively, with those of the low-pressure cylinders through the crossheads e, which inthis caseare situated between the said cylinders a y and the low-pressure cylinders, respectively. The exhaustchamber of the high-pressure cylinder a is connected by a pipe 5 with the valve-casing ofthe intermediate cylinderyandtheexhaustchamberof the latter by a pipe ,2 with the valve-casing of the low-pressure cylinders 19.

To enable the engine to be readily adapted for use with one or two of the cylinders inoperative, I provide it with the following arrangement of pipes and valves or cocks, viz: The steam-supply pipe 19 is connected with the valve-casing 14 of the high-pressure cylinder a by a pipe 1, provided with a controlling valve or cook 2, with the valve-casing 23 of the intermediate cylinder y by a pipe 3, provided with a controlling valve or cock 4, and with the valve-casing 15 of the low-pressure cylinders b by a pipe 5, provided with a controlling valve or cock 6. The cocks shown at 4 and 6 are made with open-bottom plugs and are adapted to put the corresponding valvecasings in communication either with the steam-supply pipe 19 or with the exhaust-pipe s or a, as the case may be, of the preceding By closing the cock 2 and adjusting the cock 4 so as to put the valve-casing 23 of the intermediate cylinder y in communication wit-h the pipe 19 this cylinder can be used as a high-press u re cylinder,together with the low-pressure cylinders 12, the cylinder a being inoperative. By closing both of the cocks 2 and 4 and adjusting the cock 6 so as to put the valve-casing 15 of the low-pressure cylinders in communication with the pipe 10 these cylinders can be used as high-pressure cylinders, the other two being left inoperative and their pistons either disconnected or allowed to run idly, as desired.

To provide forenabling the cylinders a and 1 to be used with the low-pressure cylinders inoperative or the cylinders a and b to be used with the intermediate cylinder y inoperative, I sometimes connect the pipe 2 with the low-pressure exhaust-pipe 7 by a pipe 8, provided with a controlling valve or cock 9, and the pipe 8 with the pipe 2 by means of a pipe 10, provided with a controlling valve or cock 11. By closing the cock 6 and opening the cooks 2 and 9, the cock4 being so ad- 3' usted as to put the corresponding valve-casing in communication with the pipe 3, the cylinder y can be used as a low-pressure cylinder, together with the high-pressure cylinder a, or by closing the cocks 4 and 9 and opening the cooks 2 and 11, the cock 6 being so adjusted as to put the corresponding valvecasing in communication with the pipe 2', the high-pressu re cylinder a can be used with the low-pressure cylinders b, the cylinder y being left inoperative.

The cylinders a, b, and y are preferably arranged, as shown, so that their axes are in the same straight line and are made of such relative proportions in cross-sectional area that the pistons on either side of the crank-shaft will exert forces of approximately-equal magnitude in inverse directions, and thus insure an approximately-balanced action. The said cylinders are showp secured to a bed-plate 12. They may, however, be rigidly connected by means of rods or bolts or in any other convenient manner and be supported solely by the crank-shaft and provided with means for rocking them about the same through a suitable angle to shift the engine from its dead-centers, and thus facilitate its starting. The distributing-valves may be operated substantially as above described with reference to Fig. 5.

In the triple-expansion engine shown in Fig. 8 the pistons of the low-pressure cylinders b are coupled directly by connectingrods 9 to cranks h j within the said cylinders and are connected by the piston-rods fwith the pistons of the high-pressure and intermediate cylinders a and g, respectively. The engine is with these exceptions constructed substantially as described with reference to Figs. 6 and 7.

In Fig. 9 I have shown another modification of my improved engine in which two high-pressure cylinders a are joined end to end and open into each other, so as to form virtually a single cylinder with two pistons moving in inverse directions, the crank-shaft 0 extending transversely through a bearing (1 between them, and an intermediate cylinder y and a low-pressure cylinder 17 are arranged at suitable distances, respectively, from the outer ends of the said high-pressure cylinders, the pistons of the said intermediate and low-pressure cylinders being connected with those of thc'high-pressure cylinders. The piston-rods fin the arrangement shown are each made in one piece, and the crossheads 6 are fixed on the outer ends of the said rods. It is obvious that this arrangement of the cross-heads can, if desired, be applied to the engine shown in Figs. 6 and 7, or the arrangement of the cross-heads shown in Figs. 6 and 7 can be applied to the engine shown in Fig. 9, or the piston-rods shown in Figs. 8 or 9 instead of being made in a single piece can be made in two lengths connected by means of a suitable coupling situated between the respective cylinders.

It is evident, moreover, that the construction of myimproved engine can be somewhat further modified without departing from the nature of my said invention. For instance, by adding two more cylinders to the arrangement shown in Figs.'l to 4 and suitably proportioning the several cylinders I can make an approximately-balanced quadruple-expam sion engine according to my said invention.

In cases where the crank-shaft is built up or is made in two parts the central cylinders can, if desired, be formed in one casting. The axes of the cylinders on one side of the crankshaft may, if desired, be slightly inclined to the axes of the cylinders on the other side thereof.

What I claim is 1. In a double-acting multiple-expansion engine, the combination, with a rotary crankshaft having cranks set at an angle of one hundred and eighty degrees, of cylinders located in axial alinement with each other on opposite sides of said shaft, a high-pressure cylinder being located on one side and a lowpressure cylinder on the other side thereof, two of said cylinders being joined end to end with said shaft extending transversely and centrally between them, the pistons of said high and low pressure cylinders being coupled respectively to said cranks, substantially as hereinbefore described.

2. A double-acting multiple-expansion engine comprising cylinders whose axes are in the same straight line and two of which are joined end to end, a rotary crank-shaft extending transversely and centrally between the joined ends of said two cylinders and having cranks set at an angle of one hundred and eighty degrees, a high-pressure cylinder being located on one side and a low-pressure cylinder on the otherside of said shaft, pistons in said cylinders, and means to couple the pistons of said high and low pressure cylinders respectively to said cranks, said cylinders being of such relative proportions that approximately equal forces will at all times be exerted in inverse directions upon said cranks, substantially as hereinbefore described.

A multiple-expansion engine comprising a rotary crank-shaft having cranks set at an angle of one hundred and eighty degrees, journal-bearings supporting said shaft on opposite sides of said cranks, cylinders in axial alinement with each other and distributingvalves therefor supported by and capable of being rocked through a small angle about said shaft, at least one high-pressu re cylinder being located on one side of said shaft and at least one low-pressure cylinder on the opposite side thereof and two of the cylinders being joined end to end about said shaft so that said shaft extends transversely and centrally between them, and pistons in said cylinders, the pistons of said high-pressure and low-pressure cylinders being coupled respectively to said cranks, substantially as hereinbefore described.

4. A double-acting multiple-expansion engine comprising a rotary crank-shaft having cranks set at an angle of one hundred and eighty degrees, a high-pressure cylinder and a low-pressure cylinder situated on opposite sides of said rotary erank-shaftin axial alinement with each other and joined end to end with the crank-shaft extending transversely and centrally between them and having their adjacent ends closed and their pistons coupled respectively to said cranks, substantially as hereinbefore described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED HENRY OROCKFORD.

Witnesses:

JOHN T. KNOWLES, HENRY W. LYNDEN. 

